Cell phone system for enabling and disabling a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A cell phone system ( 10 ) for enabling and disabling a vehicle ( 12 ) includes a cell phone ( 20 ) and a receiving receptacle ( 22 ) secured within the vehicle ( 12 ) that is configured so that the cell phone ( 20 ) cannot transmit signals whenever the cell phone ( 20 ) is secured within the receiving receptacle ( 22 ). A vehicle enabling mechanism ( 44 ) is secured within the receiving receptacle ( 22 ) and is also secured in communication with an engine ( 50 ) of the vehicle ( 12 ) so that placement of the cell phone ( 20 ) within the receiving receptacle ( 22 ) activates the vehicle enabling mechanism ( 44 ) to put the vehicle ( 12 ) in an enabled mode, and so that removal of the cell phone ( 20 ) from the receiving receptacle ( 22 ) deactivates the vehicle enabling mechanism ( 44 ) to put the vehicle ( 12 ) in a disabled mode.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a system for enabling and disabling a vehiclesuch as an automobile, and particularly relates to use of a specificcell phone to enable and disable a specific vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART

Cell phones are increasingly common especially amongst adolescents andteenagers, and use of cell phones by young and novice operators ofvehicles has become a grave hazard on roadways. Initially, it wasthought that use of an operator's hand or hands during operation of thecell phone was the primary problem resulting in inattentive drivers.Therefore, many efforts focused upon development of “hands-free” cellphones, either integral with the vehicle, or by way of dashboardmounting of cell phones with removable headsets, or “BLUETOOTH” brandear pieces, etc. However, more recent studies have concluded that themost distracting aspect of cell phone usage is a conversationalinterchange between the user and the person to whom the user is talking.Unlike a radio or musical sound system within a vehicle, which isexclusively one-way communication, cell phone usage is necessarilytwo-way communication that involves such a high level of mental activitythat simultaneous careful operation of a vehicle frequently becomes asecondary concern.

More recently, cell phones have grown in technical complexity, involving“smart phones” that can access the internet for e-mail correspondence,and that include full mini-keyboards for “texting” messages, etc.Consequently, cell-phone based driver distractions have become an evergrowing hazard. To minimize this potentially lethal hazard, many stateshave enacted laws severely restricting usage of cell phones whiledriving. Unfortunately, however, such laws are extremely difficult toenforce, especially at night when driving hazards are greatest becauselaw enforcement officers are unable to see within vehicles.

This problem has been recognized and many efforts have been undertakento eliminate usage of a cell phone by an operator of a vehicle. Suchefforts however, typically require very costly and complex apparatus andsystems and therefore have not experienced widespread acceptance. Forexample, a “Motion Disabled Cell Phone” is shown in U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. US 2005/0255874 A1 by Stewart-Baxter et al.The Stewart-Baxter cell phone includes use of a “Global PositioningSystem” (“GPS”) reader or an accelerometer integrated within a cellphone, and software within the cell phone to disable the cell phone whenmotion of the phone is detected by the GPS reader or accelerometer. Sucha cell phone therefore, cannot be utilized in a moving vehicle. Anotherexample is shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2008/0268767 A1 to Brown et al., wherein an interference device and anantenna element secured within a vehicle produce a bare carrier wave ornoise at sufficient power to interfere with operation of a cell phonewithin the vehicle. Both Stewart-Baxter et al. and Brown et al. requirecostly modifications to a cell phone and a vehicle, and both result inall cell phones within a vehicle being disabled.

Another example of an effort to restrict usage of cell phones in avehicle is shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2007/0270122 A1 to Ewell Jr. The Ewell Jr. disclosure also requires useof a location tracking unit that uses a GPS signal and a disablingcircuit within a cell phone. The resulting system may be utilized todisable cell phones when they are within a restricted region, providedthe cell phones include the disabling circuit. These disclosuresindicate that complex and costly systems are available for selectivelydisabling cell phones to suit particular conditions. However, none havegained wide acceptance probably because they require substantialmodification to cell phones, which result in the inability of themodified cell phone to be utilized whether the owner of the cell phoneis operating the vehicle, or merely a passenger in the vehicle.Therefore such unpopular modified cell phones are simply not available.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Purchasers of cell phones for adolescent, high-risk vehicle operatorsare typically parents or guardians of those adolescents. It is mostcommon that such purchasers acquire a “family plan” from a cell phonecarrier, and provide cell phones to their children for purposes ofsecurity and efficiency of communication. An extremely important needfor such “family plan” purchasers is to prevent a specific adolescent ornovice high-risk vehicle operator plan member (e.g., a teenage son ordaughter) from using a specific cell phone while operating a specificvehicle. For example, the parent purchasers of the plan may have afamily vehicle for use by all members of the family, and a higherquality car for use by the parents only. Or, the high-risk operator mayhave a vehicle of their own. Additionally, the parents may beresponsible for a sixteen-year-old child that is newly licensed and isonly to operate the family vehicle. Therefore, these common types ofcell phone purchasers and operators have a common and particularproblem; namely, to prevent a specific newly licensed driver from usinga specific cell phone while operating a specific vehicle. Identificationof this particular problem is considered an inventive aspect of thisdisclosure.

The present disclosure resolves this problem with a cell phone systemfor enabling and disabling a vehicle. The vehicle, such as anautomobile, is for transporting at least a vehicle operator, and thevehicle has an enabled mode for permitting motion of the vehicle and adisabled mode for preventing motion of the vehicle. The cell phonesystem includes a cell phone for transmitting and receivingcommunication signals, wherein the cell phone has a fully operationalmode for permitting transmission and reception of communication signalsand an idle mode for preventing transmission of communication signals.The system also includes a receiving receptacle secured within thevehicle and configured for receiving and securing the cell phone withinthe receiving receptacle so that the cell phone is in the idle modewhenever the cell phone is secured within the receiving receptacle. Avehicle enabling mechanism is secured within the receiving receptacleand is also secured in communication with an engine of the vehicle. Thevehicle enabling mechanism is configured so that placement of the cellphone within the receiving receptacle activates the vehicle enablingmechanism to put the vehicle in the enabled mode, and so that removal ofthe cell phone from the receiving receptacle deactivates the vehicleenabling mechanism to put the vehicle in the disabled mode.

In use of the present cell phone system for enabling and disabling avehicle, the cell phone acts as a second ignition key for operation ofthe vehicle. Upon purchasing cell phones, the purchaser would select aspecific cell phone for the cell-phone restricted driver that would beconfigured to activate the vehicle enabling mechanism. That specificcell phone could be adapted to communicate with the vehicle enablingmechanism by way of internal circuitry, or by way of a retro-fitadhesive information strip bearing detectable information, such as abar-code strip, an adhesive magnetic tape with digital information, etc.That specific cell phone would be disabled from usage while in thereceiving receptacle by being physically remote from the operator.

The receiving receptacle would also be in communication with an enginecontrol unit (“ECU”) in much the same way as a remote car starter systemand ignition key. The cell phone system may be distributed as either anafter-market product sold with the cell phones to the family purchaser,or as an integral system wired into the vehicle during manufacture ofthe vehicle. The receiving receptacle may also include a receivingreceptacle lock mechanism that is in communication with an ECU of thevehicle so that the receiving receptacle locks the cell phone within thereceptacle whenever the vehicle is moving. Such a motion based lock iscommon in modern vehicles to lock doors of the vehicle for securityduring travel. The same system logic and control can readily be appliedto the receiving receptacle to prevent removal of the cell phone fromthe receptacle during motion of the vehicle.

The present cell phone system would also include a receiving receptacleby-pass mechanism, such as a credit card sized card held by the noncell-phone restricted drivers, and inserted into the receivingreceptacle to activate the vehicle enabling mechanism within thereceptacle. The receiving receptacle by-pass mechanism would enable theparents and/or older, non cell-phone restricted drivers to operate thefamily vehicle containing the receiving receptacle without restrictionson usage of their cell phones.

Unlike known approaches to restricting cell phone usage by a vehicleoperator that disrupt operation of a cell phone, instead the presentcell phone system for enabling and disabling a vehicle interruptsoperation of a specific vehicle by one or more specific cell phones.This system will therefore resolve the most pressing need of parents orguardians of high risk drivers by only disabling use of one or morespecific cell phones of one or more high-risk drivers while driving avehicle over which the parents or guardians seek to assert control. Thepresent system also permits ordinary cell phone usage by non-vehicleoperators within the vehicle, thereby providing increased security,efficiency and convenience. The cell phone system of the presentdisclosure achieves these goals with very modest cost and complexity andcan be readily retro-fitted into common vehicles and with little or nointernal modification of the restricted cell phone or phones.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a raised perspective view of a cell phone system for enablingand disabling a vehicle constructed in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top fragmentary plan view of a vehicle including a schematicrepresentation of the present cell phone system for enabling anddisabling a vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of two removable information stripson a card wherein the strips include information and wherein the stripsmay be removed from the card and secured to one or more cell phones.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a by-pass card bearinginformation for placement within a receiving receptacle of the presentdisclosure to activate a vehicle enabling mechanism of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is raised perspective view of a receiving receptacle of thepresent disclosure showing the receptacle open, and showing a schematicrepresentation of a vehicle enabling mechanism secured within thereceptacle.

FIG. 6 is a raised perspective view of a receiving receptacle of thepresent disclosure showing the receptacle closed to secure a cell phonewithin the receptacle.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

Referring to the drawings in detail, a cell phone system for enablingand disabling a vehicle is shown in FIG. 1 and is generally designatedby the reference numeral 10. The cell phone system 10 is typicallydeployed within a vehicle 12 as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the vehicle 12such as an automobile 12 is configured for transporting at least avehicle operator 14 adjacent a steering wheel 16 within an operator'sseat 18 of the vehicle 12. The vehicle 12 has an enabled mode forpermitting motion of the vehicle 12 and a disabled mode for preventingmotion of the vehicle 12.

The cell phone system 10 includes a cell phone 20 for transmitting andreceiving communication signals, wherein the cell phone 20 has a fullyoperational mode for permitting transmission and reception ofcommunication signals. The cell phone 20 also has an idle mode for atleast preventing transmission of communication signals. For purposesherein, the phrase “idle mode”, is to mean that the cell phone 20 isincapable of transmission of communication signals. Such an “idle mode”of the cell phone 20 may be the result of the phone 20 being physicallyremote from a user of the phone 20, or by any other method or apparatussuch as internal circuitry, etc.

The cell phone system 10 also includes a receiving receptacle 22 securedwithin the vehicle 12, such as on a center console 24 of the vehicle 12(as shown in FIG. 2), or on or within a dashboard 26 of the vehicle 12.The receiving receptacle 22 includes a top 28 pivotally secured to abase 30, and it also includes a latch-lock 32 defined within the base 30and dimensioned to receive and lock a lock-tab 34 protruding from thetop 28 of the receptacle receiver 22. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 5,the receptacle receiver 22 also includes non-rigid resilient contactmaterial 36 secured to interior surfaces of the top 28 and the base 30for cushioning the cell phone 20 and for securing the phone 20 in afixed position whenever the top 28 is secured to the base 30. Theresilient contact material 36 may be any sponge like or plastic foamsubstance suitable for minimizing shock damage to the cell phone 20while simultaneously securing the cell phone 20 against movement withinthe closed receptacle. While the cell phone 20 is so secured within thereceiving receptacle 22, the cell phone 20 is in its idle mode so itcannot transmit communication signals primarily because the cell phone20 is remote from the vehicle operator 14.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of two removable informationstrips 40A and 40B supported on a card 42. The information strips 40A,40B include information, such as a bar code, or electronically readableinformation on a magnetic medium, or any other known technology thatprovides for communication of information from a strip to an informationreading apparatus, such as a vehicle enabling mechanism 44 (shown inFIG. 5). The information strips 40A, 40B are dimensioned to be securedto an exterior surface of the cell phone 20. The information strips 40A,40B are configured to be selectively removed from the card 42 andsecured to one or more cell phones 20, such as by an adhesive material,as is commonly done with known adhesive mailing labels or envelopes,etc.

FIG. 4 shows a simplified schematic representation of a by-pass card 46to which is affixed a by-pass information strip 48. The by-passinformation strip 48 will include the same information as theinformation strips 40A, 40B, however, the by-pass information strip 48would be permanently secured to the by-pass card 46. In use of the cellphone system 10, a purchaser of the system 10 would remove theinformation strips 40A, 40B and secure them respectively to the cellphone 20 and possibly other cell phones (not shown) belonging tohigh-risk drivers for whom the purchaser bears some responsibility. Thepurchaser would then simply place the by-pass card 46 in her or hiswallet as they would with a credit card, and then use the by-pass card46 as a second ignition key. The cell phone system 10 may be availablewith a plurality of identical by-pass cards 46.

The vehicle enabling mechanism 44 of the cell phone system 10 forenabling and disabling the vehicle 12 also includes communication meanssecured to the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 for communicating enablingand disabling signals to an engine 50 of the vehicle 12. Thecommunication means may include any known technology for communicatingsignals capable of enabling and/or disabling the vehicle engine 50, suchas a controller 52 (shown in FIG. 5) and a signal wire 54 and wireconnector 55 secured in electrical communication with the controller 52and with the engine 50. Alternative communication means may includewireless signal transmissions, electro-mechanical signal transmitters,or any other communicating means known in the art to be capable of thedescribed functions.

The vehicle enabling mechanism 44 is configured or manufactured so thatpositioning of the cell phone 20 within the receiver receptacle 22activates the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 to put the vehicle 12 in theenabled mode, and so that removal of the cell phone 20 from the receiverreceptacle 22 deactivates the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 to put thevehicle 12 in the disabled mode. The vehicle enabling mechanism 44including its controller 52 is configured and manufactured forcommunicating with the engine 50 of the vehicle through known methodsand apparatus, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,363,129 toBarnicle et al. which describes both wired and wireless communicationwith Engine Control Units (“ECUs”), and which Patent is herebyincorporated herein by reference. The controller generates signals in amanner comparable to known “remote-control car starters” that permitstart up of a vehicle 12 from a remote distance by compression of aspring-biased button in a hand-held switch (not shown). The controller52 of the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 when activated similarlygenerates an engine-operation signal and communicates it to an ECU 56 ofthe engine 50 of the vehicle 12. When the vehicle enabling mechanism 44is deactivated, either the engine-operation signal is interrupted, or anengine disabling signal is generated and communicated to the ECU 56 todisable the vehicle 12. The engine disabling signal may be the same formof control signal as generated in known vehicles by turning off andremoving an ignition key.

As shown in FIG. 5, an embodiment of the vehicle enabling mechanism 44includes a reader head 60 secured so that it may read the information onthe information strips 40A, 40B or on the by-pass information strip 48secured to the by-pass card 46. The reader head may be secured on anexterior surface of the controller 52 and positioned within a readervoid 62 defined within the resilient material 36 within the base of thereceiver receptacle 22. Alternatively, the reader head 60 may simply beflush-mounted with the resilient material 36. A user would place thecell phone 20 within the base 30 of the open receptacle 22 so that theinformation strip 40A can be read by the reader head 60. Recognizingthat cell phones are available in diverse sizes, the cell phone system10 may include removable dimension bumpers 64A, 64B, 64C, 64D adjacentthe resilient material 36 and exterior walls of the base 30 of thereceptacle 22. The dimension bumpers 64A, 64B, 64C, 64D may be includedas part of the system 10 with a series of varying size bumpers (notshown) dimensioned to conveniently secure varying sized cell phoneswithin the base 30 adjacent the reader head 60. The dimension bumpers64A, 64B, 64C, 64D may include adhesive surfaces to selectively securethem to the resilient material 36 for snuggly securing a specific cellphone 20 in a fixed location within the receiving receptacle 22.

In use of this embodiment of the cell phone system 10, it is importantthat the reader head 60 consistently reads the information on theinformation strip 40A secured to the cell phone 20. This may be achievedthrough a variety of methods. For example, the information strip 40A mayfirst be placed upon the reader head 60 so that the information surfaceof the information strip 40A is adjacent the reader head 60 and anopposed adhesive surface of the information strip 40A faces in adirection away from the reader head 60 with the adhesive exposed. Thecell phone 20 may then be placed within the receiving receptacle 22 sothat it is snuggly positioned adjacent one or more of the adjustableremovable dimensioned bumpers 64A, 64B, 64C, 64D. Then the cell phone 20is compressed against the resilient material 36 so that the informationstrip 40A adheres to the cell phone 20 in a fixed position that permitsreading of the information on the information strip 40A by the readerhead 60 whenever the cell phone 20 is placed within the receivingreceptacle 22.

Alternatively, the reader head 60 of the vehicle enabling mechanism 44maybe in the nature of a known bar code scanner 60 that can scan anentire surface of the cell phone 20 to find and read information fromthe information strip 40A secured to the cell phone 20. In such anembodiment, the resilient material 36 may be an optically transparentmaterial so that the bar code scanner 60 can communicate through thematerial 36. In a further embodiment, the resilient material 36 may be asee-through mesh material permitting communication by the bar codescanner 60 or other form information reader through the see-through meshresilient material 36.

The cell phone system 10 for enabling and disabling a vehicle 12 mayalso include an auto lock 70 secured within the latch-lock 32. The autolock 70 is secured in communication with the engine 50, such as with theengine ECU 56, through an auto lock line 72 between the auto lock 70 andthe signal wire 54, or through any communication means capable ofperforming the communication functions described herein. The auto lock70 operates in the same manner as known automobile door locks (notshown) that lock automatically in response to operation of the engine 50of the vehicle 12. It is known that for security purposes shortly afterthe vehicle 12 engine 50 starts up (such as about 30 seconds thereafter)the ECU 56 communicates to all door locks (not shown) to lock. Thisminimizes the risk of car jacking or other unauthorized intrusion intothe vehicle, or unauthorized exiting of the vehicle by children in therear seats, etc. The auto lock 70 similarly receives a command from theECU 56 shortly after the engine 50 starts up to lock the receivingreceptacle 22, thereby prohibiting access to the cell phone 20 securedwithin the receptacle 22 while it is locked.

Although the receiving receptacle 22 is shown in the describedembodiments as a stand-alone, box-like structure, it is to be understoodthat the receiving receptacle 22 may be in any form that permits thedescribed functions. For example, the receiving receptacle 22 may beintegral with the vehicle 12, such as within or under the dashboard 26in the form of a receiving sleeve or port 22 with no cover 28 so thatthe cell phone 20 is simply inserted into the integral receivingreceptacle 22. The receiving receptacle 22 may be any structure that canhouse the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 in such a manner that themechanism 44 can interact with the cell phone 20 to enable the vehicle12. While communication between the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 andthe engine 50 of the vehicle 12 has been described as communicationthrough an ECU 56, it is to be understood that the vehicle enablingmechanism 44 may communicate with the engine 50 of the vehicle 12 sothat the engine 50 is enabled to operate permitting motion of thevehicle 12. Such communication may be by way of the ECU 56, or any otherknown vehicle control apparatus that may put the vehicle 12 in anenabled mode.

While application of the information strip 40A to the cell phone 20 isdisclosed as one embodiment of the cell phone system 10 and method forenabling and disabling a vehicle 12, the present disclosure alsoincludes any apparatus or method that applies enabling information tothe cell phone 20 so that particular cell phone 20 will selectivelyenable and disable the particular vehicle 12 having the receivingreceptacle 22. Such apparatus and/or methods of applying enablinginformation to the cell phone 20 also includes modifying circuitry ofthe cell phone 20; modifying transmission capacity of the cell phone 20so that the cell phone 20 communicates directly with the vehicleenabling mechanism 44; integrating the vehicle enabling mechanism 44within the cell phone 20 so that the cell phone 20 and integral vehicleenabling mechanism 44 only communicate with the engine 50 of the vehicle12 when the cell phone 20 is physically secured within the receivingreceptacle 22; or, any known apparatus and/or method that cooperate toresult in putting the vehicle 12 in an enabled mode whenever the cellphone 20 is secured within the receiving receptacle 22 so that the cellphone 20 cannot transmit communication signals.

The present disclosure also includes a method of enabling and disablingthe vehicle 12 through the steps of securing enabling information to thecell phone 20; constructing the receiving receptacle 22 so thatplacement of the cell phone 20 within the receiving receptacle 22prohibits transmission of communication signals from the cell phone 20;securing the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 within the receivingreceptacle 22; securing the receiving receptacle 22 within the vehicle12; inserting the cell phone 20 within the receiving receptacle 22 toactivate the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 to thereby put the vehicle 12in an enabled mode for permitting motion of the vehicle 12; and,removing the cell phone 20 from the receiving receptacle 22 todeactivate the vehicle enabling mechanism 44 to thereby put the vehicle12 in a disabled mode for preventing motion of the vehicle 12.

While the present disclosure has been presented above with respect tothe described and illustrated embodiments of a cell phone system 10 forenabling and disabling a vehicle 12, it is to be understood that thedisclosure is not to be limited to those alternatives and describedembodiments. Accordingly, reference should be made primarily to thefollowing claims rather than the forgoing description to determine thescope of the disclosure.

1. A cell phone system (10) for enabling and disabling a vehicle (12),the vehicle (12) being for transporting at least a vehicle operator(14), the vehicle (12) having an enabled mode for permitting motion ofthe vehicle (12) and a disabled mode for preventing motion of thevehicle (12), the system comprising: a. a cell phone (20) fortransmitting and receiving communication signals, the cell phone (20)having a fully operational mode for permitting transmission andreception of communication signals and an idle mode for preventingtransmission of communication signals; b. a receiving receptacle (22)secured within the vehicle (12) and configured for receiving andsecuring the cell phone (20) within receiving receptacle (22) so thatthe cell phone (20) is in the idle mode whenever the cell phone (20) issecured within the receiving receptacle (22); and, c. a vehicle enablingmechanism (44) secured within the receiving receptacle (22) and securedin communication with an engine (50) of the vehicle (12), the vehicleenabling mechanism (44) being configured so that placement of the cellphone (20) into the receiving receptacle (22) activates the vehicleenabling mechanism (44) to put the vehicle (12) in the enabled mode, andso that removal of the cell phone (20) from the receiving receptacle(22) deactivates the vehicle enabling mechanism (44) to put the vehicle(12) in the disabled mode.
 2. The cell phone system (10) of claim 1,wherein the cell phone (20) includes an information strip (40A), and thevehicle enabling mechanism (44) includes an information readingapparatus (60) secured so that the information reading apparatus (60)reads information on the information strip (40A) to activate the vehicleenabling mechanism (44) to put the vehicle (12) in the enabled mode. 3.The cell phone system (10) of claim 2, wherein the information readingapparatus (60) is a bar code reader head (60).
 4. The cell phone system(10) of claim 1, further comprising the receiving receptacle (22)including an auto lock (70) secured in communication with the engine(50) of the vehicle (12), wherein the auto lock (70) automatically locksa top (28) of the receiving receptacle (22) to a base (30) of thereceptacle (22) in response to operation of the engine (50) of thevehicle (12).
 5. The cell phone system (10) of claim 1, furthercomprising a by-pass card (46) having a by-pass information strip (48)configured so that placement of the by-pass card (46) into the receivingreceptacle (22) activates the vehicle enabling mechanism (44) to put thevehicle (12) in the enabled mode, and so that removal of the by-passcard (46) from the receiving receptacle (22) deactivates the vehicleenabling mechanism (44) to put the vehicle (12) in the disabled mode. 6.The cell phone system (10) of claim 1, wherein the receiving receptacle(22) is integral with a dashboard (26) of the vehicle (12).
 7. The cellphone system (10) of claim 1, wherein the receiving receptacle (22) is aretro-fit receiving receptacle (22) secured to the vehicle (12).
 8. Thecell phone system (10) of claim 1, further comprising the receivingreceptacle (22) including a top (28) and a base (30) wherein the top(28) and base (30) house a resilient contact material (36) forcushioning the cell phone (20) and for securing the cell phone (20) in afixed position whenever the top (28) is secured to the base (30), andthe resilient contact material (36) within the base (30) defining areader void (62) dimensioned to house an information reading apparatus(60) for reading information on the cell phone (20).
 9. The cell phonesystem (10) of claim 8, wherein the resilient contact material (36)within the base (30) of the receiving receptacle (22) is manufacturedfrom a compound selected from the group consisting of opticallytransparent materials and see-through mesh materials.
 10. A method ofusing a cell phone (20) to enable and disable a vehicle (12), thevehicle (12) being for transporting at least a vehicle operator (14),the vehicle (12) having an enabled mode for permitting motion of thevehicle (12) and a disabled mode for preventing motion of the vehicle(12), the method comprising: a. applying enabling information to thecell phone (20); b. constructing a receiving receptacle (22) so thatplacement of the cell phone (20) within the receiving receptacle (22)prohibits transmission of communication signals from the cell phone(20); c. securing a vehicle enabling mechanism (44) within the receivingreceptacle (22); d. securing the receiving receptacle (22) within thevehicle (12); e. then securing the cell phone (20) within the receivingreceptacle (22) to activate the vehicle enabling mechanism (44) tothereby put the vehicle (12) in an enabled mode for permitting motion ofthe vehicle (12); and, f. then removing the cell phone (20) from thereceiving receptacle (22) to deactivate the vehicle enabling mechanism(44) to thereby put the vehicle (12) in a disabled mode for preventingmotion of the vehicle (12).
 11. The method of using a cell phone (20) toenable and disable a vehicle (12) of claim 10, wherein the step ofapplying enabling information to the cell phone (20) further comprisesapplying an information strip (40A) to the cell phone (20).
 12. Themethod of using a cell, phone (20) to enable and disable a vehicle (12)of claim 10, further comprising replacing the step of then securing thecell phone (20) within the receiving receptacle (22) with a step ofsecuring a by-pass card (46) within the receiving receptacle (22), andreplacing the step of removing the cell phone (20) from the receivingreceptacle (22) with a step of removing the by-pass card (46) from thereceiving receptacle (22).
 13. The method of using a cell phone (20) toenable and disable a vehicle (12) of claim 10, wherein the step ofapplying enabling information to the cell phone (20) further comprises,securing an information strip (40A) upon a reader head (60) within thereceiving receptacle (22) so that an information surface of theinformation strip (40A) is adjacent the reader head (60) and an opposedadhesive surface of the information strip (40A) faces in a directionaway from the reader head (60); then placing the cell phone (20) withinthe receiving receptacle (22) so that it is positioned adjacent thereader head (60); then compressing the cell phone (20) against resilientmaterial (36) adjacent the reader head (60) so that the informationstrip (40A) adheres to the cell phone (20) in a fixed position thatpermits reading of the information on the information strip (40A) by thereader head (60) whenever the cell phone (20) is placed within thereceiving receptacle (22).
 14. The method of using a cell phone (20) toenable and disable a vehicle (12) of claim 10, further comprisingautomatically locking a top (28) to a base (30) of the receivingreceptacle (22) in response to operation of the engine (50) of thevehicle (12) to thereby prohibit removal of the cell phone (20) from thereceiving receptacle (22).
 15. A method of prohibiting operation of aspecific cell phone (20) by a specific vehicle operator (14) while thevehicle (12) is in an enabled mode, the method comprising: a.identifying the vehicle operator (14) as a high-risk operator (14); b.applying enabling information to the cell phone (20); c. constructing areceiving receptacle (22) so that placement of the cell phone (20)within the receiving receptacle (22) prohibits transmission ofcommunication signals from the cell phone (20); d. securing a vehicleenabling mechanism (44) within the receiving receptacle (22); e.securing the receiving receptacle (22) within the vehicle (12); f.distributing the cell phone (20) to the high-risk vehicle operator (14);g. then securing the cell phone (20) within the receiving receptacle(22) by the high-risk vehicle operator (14) to activate the vehicleenabling mechanism (44) to thereby put the vehicle (12) in an enabledmode for permitting operation of the vehicle (12) by the high-riskdriver; and, h. then removing the cell phone (20) from the receivingreceptacle (22) by the high-risk vehicle operator (14) to deactivate thevehicle enabling mechanism (44) to thereby put the vehicle (12) in adisabled mode for preventing motion of the vehicle (12).
 16. The methodof prohibiting operation of a specific cell phone (20) by a specificvehicle operator (14) while the vehicle (12) is in an enabled mode ofclaim 15, wherein the step of applying enabling information to the cellphone (20) further comprises applying an information strip (40A) to thecell phone (20).
 17. The method of prohibiting operation of a specificcell phone (20) by a specific vehicle operator (14) while the vehicle(12) is in an enabled mode of claim 15, further comprising automaticallylocking a top (28) to a base (30) of the receiving receptacle (22) inresponse to operation of the engine (50) of the vehicle (12) to therebyprohibit removal of the cell phone (20) from the receiving receptacle(22) while the vehicle (12) is in the enabled mode.